Science lesson plan · 9th grade (Year 10 in England) · 45 minutes
Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output
Human body and health
CCSS NGSS.HS-LS1-3CCSS NGSS.SEP 5England: GCSE Combined Science: OrganisationEngland: GCSE PE: cardiac output
Objective and success criteria
Students will: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output.
- I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
- I can explain each step and say why it works.
- I can check my answer and spot a mistake.
Before and after
Needs first: Follow blood through the heart and lungs
Leads to: the next skill in this area.
Materials: Stopwatches, Body diagrams, Mini whiteboards, A diagram or short video clip of the idea, Printed student sheet (below).
Warm-up · 5 min
- Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Follow blood through the heart and lungs). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
- Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
- Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the right ventricle? (pulmonary artery / right atrium / lungs / vena cava) → pulmonary arteryPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.
- Humans have a double circulatory system. What does that mean? (only half the blood reaches the lungs / we have two hearts / blood flows both ways in each vessel / blood passes through the heart twice on each full trip round the body) → blood passes through the heart twice on each full trip round the bodyPrompt: One loop goes to the lungs, one to the body.
- Following blood from the body to the lungs: where does blood go straight after the pulmonary artery? (right atrium / vena cava / lungs / right ventricle) → lungsPrompt: This side of the heart carries blood low in oxygen.
Hook · 5 min
- Ask everyone to find their pulse, then jump for 30 seconds and find it again.
- Share the objective: Heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output. Read the success criteria together.
I do: model it · 10 min
- Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
- Example: A person's stroke volume is 90 cm³ and their heart rate is 72 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute?
- Step 1: 90 × 72 = 6480
- Step 2: So the answer is: 6480 cm³/min
- Answer: 6480 cm³/min
- Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.
We do: guided practice · 10 min
- Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
- Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
- A person's stroke volume is 100 cm³ and their heart rate is 120 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute? → 12000 cm³/minPrompt: cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate
- During exercise an athlete's cardiac output is 4.2 dm³ per minute and their stroke volume is 60 cm³. What is their heart rate, in beats per minute? (1 dm³ = 1000 cm³) → 70 bpmPrompt: Convert the cardiac output to cm³ first.
You do: independent practice · 10 min
- Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
- Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.
The 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.
Exit ticket · 5 min
- Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
- A person's stroke volume is 100 cm³ and their heart rate is 65 beats per minute. What is their cardiac output, in cm³ per minute? → 6500 cm³/minPrompt: cardiac output = stroke volume × heart rate
- After exercise, a student counts 26 pulse beats in 10 seconds. What is the heart rate in beats per minute? → 156 bpmPrompt: How many lots of this time fit into 60 seconds?
Watch out for
- Everyday meanings of words getting in the way of the science meaning: define key words explicitly.
- Remembering facts without the reason: ask "why?" and "what is the evidence?"
Support and stretch
Support
- Review first: Follow blood through the heart and lungs.
- Use concrete materials: stopwatches.
- Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
- Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.
Stretch
- Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
- Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.
Homework and more practice
Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/science/grade-9.
Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder